The Real Reason Rick Hates Horatio
by Lieutenant Caine
Summary: Some childhood memories last a lifetime.


**A/N My leave of absence was much shorter than I anticipated. I find that writing cannot be put on hold or it becomes stale. So, I present you with Athena's explanation of the animosity between Rick Stetler and Horatio Caine.**

**H**

**The Real Reason Rick Hates Horatio.**

_"Oh please don't let him be in my class," Rick said in a childish prayer under his breath as he held his mother's hand and waited in line to read the list of names for the kindergarten classes. The lists were taped to the wall of the cafeteria and there were children and parents milling around everywhere craning necks and standing on tiptoes to see where they were supposed to go for their first day of school._

_Finally his mother found his name on a list and pulled him up into her arms so he could see his name there on the wall with Miss Rosenbloom's class._

_Puppy brown eyes scanned the list desperately hoping he would not find the one name that inspired terror in his little five-year old heart. A- Applewood, he was a neat kid, Rick liked him. B- Brant, "Yay, my best friend," thought Rick happily. Then his eyes fell on the C's. Cabot, Cadwell, Cagell, Cahill...and there it was.... Rick's little heart raced with fear._

_"Mommy I can't be in Miss. Rosenbloom's class," Rick gasped as squirmed and twisted, depserately trying to free himself from his mother's arms. "I can't be in her class."_

_"Now, Rick you know Miss Rosenbloom is our neighbor. You like her. Remember how she gave you hot chocolate and cookies last winter?"_

_"Yes, Mommy but I just can't be in her class!" Rick whined._

_"Nonesense, Rick. Now you stop this and let's go say hello to her. Her classroom is right down the hall."_

_Mrs. Stetler dragged a very reluctant Rick down the hall and after chatting pleasantly with Miss Rosenbloom for several minutes she stooped down and hugged Rick._

_"I'll see you at 12:30, son. Have a fun first day of kindergarten."_

_"Mommy please, please don't go," Rick begged._

_"Mommy has to go, Rick. But you'll have fun, I promise. Now be a big boy and dry your tears. Everything will be just fine." Mrs. Stetler kissed him on top of his mop of curly brown hair and left._

_Rick sat there dejectedly, his eyes watching the door like a hawk, hoping that "he" wouldn't arrive that day, but such luck was not to be had. He did arrive, and since he was almost 10 minutes late, the only chair in the room left for him was right next to Rick. _

_Rick cringed as the redhead sauntered to the chair and made himself comfortable._

_That long morning seemed like it would never end, but finally it was time for snacks in the cafeteria, and Rick lined up with the rest of Miss Rosenbloom's class to make the march down the hall. Halfway there he felt a shove and almost stumbled into the little girl in front of him._

_"Stop it." Rick whined_

_"What are you gonna do if I don't?" Hissed the redhead from behind him_

_"I'm gonna tell teacher."_

_"You tell teacher and I'll tell everyone..."_

_"Tell them what?"_

_"Your real name."_

_Rick gulped and then turned and ran. __He ran as fast as his little legs would carry him out the door of the lunchroom and toward the playground. Tears made wet tracks as they streaked down his chubby cheeks. He made it all the way to the playground fence before a tough little hand grabbed the back of his shirt and jerked him around. The redhead planted both grimy little hands in Rick's chest and shoved him back against the chainlinks. _

"_No, please…" Rick whimpered. _

"_I'm gonna tell…I'm gonna tell…I'm gonna tell…" chanted the redhead._

"_I'll…I'll hurt you." Sniffled Rick._

_The redhead laughed at that harmless threat._

"_I'm gonna tell everyone, Rick. I'm gonna tell the whole class what your real name is."_

"_NO! Please, don't. Please don't tell. I'll give you all my cookies from snacks for the rest of the year if you just won't tell."_

_The little freckle-faced redhead sneered. "All your cookies?! No way! You gotta promise to do whatever I say._

"_Okay, okay. Just please, please…pretty please don't tell them." Rick whined._

_The redhead waved a little fist under Rick's nose. "You better do what I say, or I will…and I'll bust your nose."_

_Rick watched as the redhead sauntered away with his little hands planted firmly on his swaggering childish hips and his $3 sunglasses covering his little blue eyes._

_Tears ran down Rick's face, and he hiccupped as he sobbed. "You...(hic)... mean...(hic)...ie!"_

Forty years later…

Horatio strode briskly up the stairs of CSI headquarters and into the lobby where he checked his messages and stepped into the elevator. The doors slid halfway closed before a hand reached in to stop them and Rick Stetler stepped in.

"Good morning, Horatio." He said politely.

The doors chimed for Horatio's floor and he smirked as he stepped out of the elevator.

"Good morning…Fredrick."


End file.
